FOURTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME

FOURTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME “B”

2009

A group of seminary students attended a lecture by one the world’s most distinguished scripture scholars and theologians. After the lecture one of the students said that as he listened to this brilliant speaker he felt like Charlie Brown looking up at the clouds. He was referring to the comic strip in which Charlie Brown, Linus and Lucy are looking up at some unusual cloud formations, when Lucy says: “If you really have an imagination, you can see things in the clouds. What do you see Linus?” Linus replies: “Well over there I see a map of British Honduras... and over there I see a portrait of Thomas Eakins, the famous sculptor and painter, and over there I see the “Stoning of Stephen”. I can even see the Apostle Paul standing along to the side and watching with approval.” Lucy says: “That’s very good Linus. And what do you see Charlie Brown?” she asks. Charlie replies: “Well I was going to say: “I see a little ducky and a horsey”, but I’ve changed my mind.”

In the Gospel passage we heard today, Jesus was just beginning His public ministry. He had invited Peter, Andrew, James and John, to follow Him and become His apostles, and shortly after that, Mark reports that: “when the Sabbath came, Jesus entered the synagogue and taught.” (Mk 1:21)

The people in that synagogue, who were hearing Jesus for the first time, were probably like Charlie Brown, novices still in the “little ducky” and “horsey” class, but as Mark relates: “they were astounded at His teaching, for He taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.” (Mk 1:22-23) To them, Jesus didn’t sound at all like their usual synagogue teachers, and they were spellbound by what He said.

We heard in today’s first reading from the book of Deuteronomy that Moses told the people how God would raise up for them a Great Prophet, and that God would put His words into that Prophet’s mouth. From the very outset of His public ministry, therefore, Jesus made it very clear that He was God’s Prophet, the One God had sent to speak His word with authority. Then to show that His authority came from God, Jesus proceeded to heal a man who was possessed by an unclean spirit. “Be silent and come out of him,” Jesus commanded, “and the unclean spirit, convulsing the man and crying with a loud voice, came out of him.” When they saw how Jesus immediately cured this afflicted man with His command, the people “were all amazed, and kept asking one another: “What is this. A new teaching and with authority. He commands even the unclean spirits and they obey Him.” (Mk. 1:27)

We know that Jesus has been given to us by God, and that His teachings are also from God. Therefore, we must pay close attention to Jesus, listen to Him and act on His Word. The question is: are we doing that? First of all, do we know what Jesus’ teaches us, and secondly are we following His teachings to the best of our abilities? Like many people who heard Jesus for the first time when He spoke to them in Galilee or Judaea, so now too, there are many people who show some interest in Jesus, who are fascinated by Him, but who are not ready to dedicate themselves to following Him. They are not ready to commit their lives totally to Jesus in any serious way. They are simply interested on-lookers. We must be more than onlookers, we must be participants in the life and love Jesus offers us. There are those who know who Jesus is, who believe that He is the Son of the Living God , but, for some reason, they are reluctant to give Him their full allegiance, their total obedience. We must not be like them, we must serve the Lord our God with all our hearts, with all our minds and with all our strength. Jesus deserves all our love, and we must give it to Him.

By His life and teachings Jesus has given us a prescription for living good lives on this earth. When we follow what He teaches us we can be whole persons, we can be holy and happy persons, conscious of our union with Him as His chosen disciples. In His landmark sermon on the mount Jesus gives us some very important truths. He says: “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.” (Mt.5:1-:9) Jesus also teaches us: “Let your light so shine before others that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father Who is in heaven.” (Mt. 5:16) ”I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.” (Mt. 5:44) “Do not be anxious about your life, what you shall eat or what you shall drink, nor about your body, what you shall put on, your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first His Kingdom...” (Mt. 6:334) Jesus teaches us: “Judge not, that you be not judged.” (Mt. 7:1) “Avoid greed in all its forms. A man may be wealthy, but his possessions do not guarantee him life.” (Lk. 12:15) and Jesus also says to each one of us: “Love one another as I have loved you.” (Jn 15:12)

Despite our many failures to listen to Jesus and to live by His teachings, we should never give up trying, we can do it, we do have hope, because we know that God would not have shown us this picture of how to live a good life without also giving us the means to actually live it. Jesus’ teachings are not an impossible dream that we can never attain. On the contrary, Jesus’ teachings are essential if we want to live a good life on this earth, if we want to live as Christians in union with Jesus.

God has given us His Son, Jesus with the authority to teach us His truth, His ways. Jesus teaches us that we have been chosen by God, and He shows us how we are to live as God’s chosen sons and daughters. When we say an enthusiastic “yes” to Jesus, when we give Him our hearts and our lives, we will be amazed at what Jesus will do for us. With Jesus we no longer live in darkness, but only in the Light. So as we prayed today in psalm 94 we pray again now: “O that today you would listen to the voice of the Lord. Do not harden your hearts.”